Shaq on Wemby: I am going to make him asses quit

[spursparker9]

https://www.si.com/nba/spurs/news/lakers-legend-sends-harsh-message-to-victor-wembanyama-01jr4hkjkr1k

Shaq then doubled down on his statement, explaining just how exactly he'd make Wembanyama quit.

“Oh, yeah. I’m going to back his elbow right in his f***ing mouth," Shaq said. "You know what he’s going to do all night? Shoot the f***ing three. And if you miss, I’m going to run right behind you and f***ing post, and you’re going to be screaming, you have three seconds to do it. I’m going to make him a**es quit.”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykLKI_A5W7I
Go to 1 hour 4min 20 sec mark



Tbh, I don't think Shaq is wrong. Wemby would be absolutely destroyed by Shaq at the defensive end. Offensive, he need to at least have KD's level of ball handling and mid-range Shaq to death.

[Dex]

Shaq's not wrong. His physical play would have obliterated current Wemby in the post in his prime (although I don't think Shaq would be allowed to be as physical in the current NBA).

Wemby wouldn't have quit, but he definitely would have been at a weight and power disadvantage.

That said, just Shaq being a blowhard as per usual. Funny how he never mentions how he let himself get fat and out of shape, and was a shell of his former self as he tried riding tailcoats to more titles with Phoenix, Cleveland, and Boston.

[Joseph Kony]

Shaq dominated an entire era of big men (mostly) during what was once thought as the golden era of bigs. so this isnt really a hot take. he also has like 150lbs on Victor. :lol

[exstatic]

https://www.si.com/nba/spurs/news/lakers-legend-sends-harsh-message-to-victor-wembanyama-01jr4hkjkr1k

Shaq then doubled down on his statement, explaining just how exactly he'd make Wembanyama quit.

“Oh, yeah. I’m going to back his elbow right in his f***ing mouth," Shaq said. "You know what he’s going to do all night? Shoot the f***ing three. And if you miss, I’m going to run right behind you and f***ing post, and you’re going to be screaming, you have three seconds to do it. I’m going to make him a**es quit.”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykLKI_A5W7I
Go to 1 hour 4min 20 sec mark



Tbh, I don't think Shaq is wrong. Wemby would be absolutely destroyed by Shaq at the defensive end. Offensive, he need to at least have KD's level of ball handling and mid-range Shaq to death.

The only players who bother Victor’s handle are smaller. He’d cross Shaq over and be past him to the rim in two seconds.

Shaq is such a little jealous bitch regarding Victor.

[LeBowen]

Shaq is the most insecure person on this planet, stopped being funny like a decade ago.

He'd score in the post at will, but he'd also be completely useless on defense in today's game.

The other day I ran across this long read:



So this whole post was inspired by the Thinking Basketball video on the NBA's YouTube channel regarding the defense of the '04 pistons, particularly during the finals against the Lakers...and I feel like I'm actually insane. Like somehow my YouTube got a different version of the video than everyone else's.
The more I watched the more I realize that Detroit had such a great defense because they were executing what are considered basic defensive actions today. Switching, pre-rotating, sagging off bad shooters, trapping PnRs, doubling and rotating, big men coming up to the level of the screen ECT. These actions happen hundreds of times in today's NBA, and modern players get lampooned when they don't execute them properly. Yet the world famous, historical Kobe-Shaq Lakers couldn't handle it.
First of all, there was no spacing. It was hilarious to watch the Pistons sag off the perimeter players so much that they were essentially executing a box-and-one for most possessions. Gary Payton passed on multiple open threes, and like lazily passed on them too. He just kept the ball moving seemingly without intent or urgency, which gave Detroit plenty of time to rotate. There were multiple examples of Lakers defenders, including Kobe (who was all-defense first team that year) getting beat badly off the dribble on the perimeter by Chauncey, Rip and even Tayshaun. Oh and there was barely any help behind them. Sometimes the defenders in the paint would take a step in and think about contesting the shot, but usually they just got open layups...in game three of the finals.
Shaq was an absolute joke defending the PnR. It almost looked like he already knew he couldn't defend in space so he didn't even bother trying. This is the Shaq that gets paid millions of dollars to talk about rangz™ and shit on modern players on TV? Correct me if I'm wrong but Chauncey isn't some once in a generation athlete, and all he needed was one screen to make Shaq look like me at the Y.
I think the Monty Williams Pistons had a more complex offensive system than the Lakers in the video I watched. Seriously, the would take ten seconds to execute one simple play and if that didn't work they gave the ball to Shaq or Kobe and stood around for the rest of the possession. The sheer lack of movement and intensity was astonishing. No wonder players got injured so much less back then, they spent half the game not moving.
There was one play where number 3 on the Lakers (Devin George? I don't care) passed to Karl in the post from the corner then immediately cuts to the rim. Karl passes him the ball back, and George went in for the layup. The problem was he drove directly into Rasheed Wallace who, having just been guarding Karl in the post, needed to literally take one step over to block the shot.
There was another play where Kobe gets the ball in the corner and gets around Tayshaun. The problem is the Lakers spacing is so bad that the other four pistons are literally each standing in one of the corners of the paint. There are three wide open Lakers, including first ballot hall of famers Gary Payton and creepy uncle Karl, just standing around twenty feet from the hoop. Chauncey doesn't have to move to help on the Kobe drive, Kobe tries to force a pass to Shaq (literally his only teammate that isn't open) and it practically hits Ben Wallace in the face and goes out of bounds.
Finally (I could sit here for hours and dissect the Lakers offense possession by possession, but I'm capping myself at three examples) there was a play where George gets doubled at half court as he's bringing the ball up. I should put doubled in sarcastic quotations because it was the slowest double I've ever seen. There are two Detroit defenders, each about seven feet away from George, and they're about to double him. George has a full three seconds to hold the ball and think before he dribbles directly into the double team. Pistons swarm, ball gets knocked out of bounds. A starter on the lauded 03-04 Lakers team was so discombobulated by the idea of a trap at half court that he takes a deep breath, checks the wind, then tries to dribble through it instead of pass to the two other Lakers who were with him in the backcourt. It's truly unbelievable.
What's really upsetting is the comments are absolutely orgasming to this footage. Literally people talking about how this Pistons defense is a work of art and how modern teams (who execute this type of defense practically every day) could never compare to this kind of basketball. Somebody literally said the 05 Pistons and the 05 Spurs that went to the finals the following year were the best defensive teams ever. He actually emphasized the ever. I couldn't believe we were watching the same footage. It's unfathomable.
But most upsetting was knowing I was watching the legends of the sport. "Mamba Mentality" "12 time all defense" Kobe getting beaten so badly on the perimeter that he's barely moved his feet before the guy is passed him. Shaq and Karl repeatedly just jogging back on defense, often allowing open shots in the process. Karl and Payton just standing around in offense on multiple occasions. Nobody, and I do mean nobody, rotating to help defend the rim even though the spacing was so bad they were already in the paint. The Lakers not actually starting their offense until 14 seconds left on the shot clock, and completely panicking when the first action doesn't work.
These are the legends that I keep hearing about? These are the guys that go on TV and shit on the modern game constantly? These are the heroes of the modern players in the league that I love now? These are the players that were winning awards every year? This is how they play in one of the biggest games of their time? It's embarrassing. Idk how anyone can watch that and try to tell me with a straight face that it's better basketball.

[CGD]

^ Why is this even a thing?

[TekXX]

Wemby would still be shooting threes regardless of how big his opponent is.

[Knoxxx]

Shaq is the most insecure person on this planet, stopped being funny like a decade ago.

That's very charitable considering Shaq has always had the personality of a doorknob and never been funny.

[exstatic]

Inside got considerably worse when they added Shaq. Bol Bol is as good as Wemby has to be one of the worst NBA media takes, ever.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Insecure fuck per par

[stnick2261]

Shaq didn’t make Dirk quit. As much as we say David Robinson played in the wrong era and would have feasted in today’s game… Shaq absolutely played in the perfect era for his style of play.

[ChumpDumper]

lol thinking they would match straight up on O and D an entire game.

[heyheymymy]

Wemby would draw shaq out to the three point line and there would be a red carpet to the rim for SA

[heyheymymy]

also fuck shaq what a huge loser

shaq put Lou amundsons mouthpiece in his ass who does that?

[CorrectCrusader]

Wemby would do a better job defending Shaq than shaq defending Wemby.

[Bill_Brasky]

So easy for uncle rico to talk about what he would do when he doesn't have to go out there and prove it.

[TheBallsbreakers]

Wemby would run circles around Shaq it wouldn't be funny. Sure he'll get beat up a few times in the post, but he'll have a better time defending Shaq with his length and smarts than Shaq defending him.
Insecure dude whose legacy gets flimsier and flimsier every day.

[Seventyniner]

Shaq is the most insecure person on this planet, stopped being funny like a decade ago.

He'd score in the post at will, but he'd also be completely useless on defense in today's game.

The other day I ran across this long read:

Nice find, thanks for posting it. Wheel in the sky keeps on turning, realistic takes on 2000s ball in the 2020s, the way 1990s ball was taken apart in the 2010s. Maybe 20 years is what it takes for the nostalgia to fade for most.

smh that one of the all-time great Spurs teams managed to lose to those Lakers though.

[spurs10]

So easy for uncle rico to talk about what he would do when he doesn't have to go out there and prove it. :lmao 'I'd throw Wemby over that mountain!!'

[CGD]

Shaq would be outright unplayable in today’s 3>2 league.

[timtonymanu]

Why is this fat old man always so insecure?

[itzsoweezee]

Wemby would drop 50 on shaq.

Shaq would get run off the floor. Shaq can try elbowing Wemby, but Vic would still get the block. Giannis tried it and it didn’t work.

[Raven]

shaq wouldn't get the ball tbh, wemby could just free safety around him and shaq would only have a small window in the paint where he gets the ball and goes straight for the dunk. trying to put the ball on the floor or attempting to get it at the top of the key, and it's a TO.

[Pauleta14]

Lmao those agreeing...

Shaq would get a few highlights but overall would become a liability and be unplayable.

He wouldn't be able to guard Wemby on the perimeter and would be lost on switches

+ let's not act like Shaq could suddenly make a FT... :lol

[Snaq O'Meal]

Wemby would drop 50 on shaq.

Shaq would get run off the floor. Shaq can try elbowing Wemby, but Vic would still get the block. Giannis tried it and it didn’t work.

That fat fucktard has forgotten that such moves are offensive fouls. He’d foul out before the first quarter is over, unless a certain corrupted commissioner is still around to orchestrate a Lakers vs Lakers finals.

[SupremeGuy]

Jokic, Wemby, Embiid, and Chet are all dropping 50 and scoring at will on Shaq lol GTFO

Oh man, Jokic would cook him so hard. Like hard hard.

[TheChillFactor]

i would enjoy watching Shaq deal with Vic's ballhandling.

that Shammy he pulled on Gobert would have sent him into the 8th row.

[John B]

I love Wemby but Shaq was 10x more bully than Sengun or Zubac. Come on guys.

Wemby would need to make his outside shots

[exstatic]

I love Wemby but Shaq was 10x more bully than Sengun or Zubac. Come on guys.

Wemby would need to make his outside shots

He would absolutely break Shaq’s ankles on any crossover. You’re only looking at it from Shaq’s strengths.

[ambchang]

Shaq isn't wrong if they are playing a one-on-one game, I think Shaq would shove Wemby to the rafters in those type of street-brawl games, and to be fair, he did it to everyone back in the day too because the rules were different. Unbeknownst to Shaq, the game has changed, it has changed a LOT.

In a team game, Shaq had trouble guarding pick and rolls even back in those days and let the likes of Damon Stoudemire, and Mike Bibby rain jumpers on him all game. Now imagine in a league where teams are launching 3s like they are free throws, where every possession is a pick and roll/pop and now centers are mobile and skillful enough to not just roll to the rim, but step back for threes, consistently hit mid-rangers, but God-forbid initiate pick and rolls themselves! Shaq may have forgotten, in a vote for changing the illegal defence rules, the Lakers were expected to have voted against the changes, where the logic was that allowing a zone will hamper Shaq's ability to score with constant collapses into the lane. However the Lakers actually were in favour because Shaq's poor pick and roll defence was becoming a bigger and bigger problem.

In a team game, Wemby will be able to shoot 3s at a reasonable rate to just cover for Shaq's post touches, if he was able to get the ball at all. Defensive schemes are so much more advanced now as illegal defence rules have allowed this constant flow of rotations that would fluster the best of post players. To Shaq's credit, he does have excellent vision out of the post but that is also precisely why teams are playing away from the post in today's game, because no player can hold the ball for 3 seconds, scan the floor, dribble for another 5 seconds while backing his man down in the heart of a 5-man defence that can collapse onto you and strip the ball away.

Shaq's pick and roll and total lack of a mid-range game would render him rather unplayable in today's game IMHO. He would have to work heavily on his conditioning and agility to allow him to stay on the floor and play like an Embiid or a Giannis. Still great players, MVP level even, but most definitely all-time greats.

[CGD]

Again, Shaq couldn't play in this 3>2 era. He was a shit defender to begin with, and always out of shape. He'd probably get as many minutes as Eddy.

[RC_Drunkford]

Spurs would just hack-a-Shaq and have him miss 13 FTs in a row

[spurraider21]

i mean lets be clear, shaq would fold wemby like a lawn chair on one end. but shaq would look pretty foolish defensively in this era. but shaq would cause problems against teams like the clippers with Zubac who would be pretty neuralized against shaq.

[spurraider21]

Spurs would just hack-a-Shaq and have him miss 13 FTs in a row
what scrub are the spurs going to put on the floor who can foul shaq, and how is

a) having him on the floor; and
b) slowing the game down by making everything halfcourt

going to affect our ability to score efficiently?

[cd98]

Shaq during his title runs with the Lakers may have been the most dominant player in NBA history. He just couldn't stay in shape over the long haul. But young Shaq was fast, especially for his size. I have no doubt that if he got Victor down low, he would have scored on him consistently. But Wemby would get some blocks for sure.

Old Shaq guarding Wemby on the perimeter would have been a disaster for Shaq. But in his earlier days, he could probably stay in front of Wemby.

Wemby does some great stuff, but right now he has shown himself to be better than David Robinson or Tim Duncan. Of course, give him a couple years and see. If he gets some muscle and improves his post moves, he can be as good as anyone. Remember that Tim Duncan was a skinny guy in 2003 and he played great against Shaq.

[Bill_Brasky]

what scrub are the spurs going to put on the floor who can foul shaq, and how is

a) having him on the floor; and
b) slowing the game down by making everything halfcourt

going to affect our ability to score efficiently?

If Shaq had modern shooters he could make you pay for double and triple teaming for sure. But with the faster pace and more 3 pt centric nature of today's game he would have to adjust quite a bit and he would need to be in prime shape. Defensively he would need to get out to the 3pt line and be able to move his feet a little bit to not get hunted. Obviously if you just let him camp inside he's gonna make it real difficult to go inside.

If he got switched onto a guy like Curry or Harden it would probably result in them getting by him off the dribble, or hitting the step back 3.

[spurraider21]

If Shaq had modern shooters he could make you pay for double and triple teaming for sure. But with the faster pace and more 3 pt centric nature of today's game he would have to adjust quite a bit and he would need to be in prime shape. Defensively he would need to get out to the 3pt line and be able to move his feet a little bit to not get hunted. Obviously if you just let him camp inside he's gonna make it real difficult to go inside.

If he got switched onto a guy like Curry or Harden it would probably result in them getting by him off the dribble, or hitting the step back 3.
how many modern centers can defend curry or harden when switched onto them without getting blown by or giving up a step back 3? Gobert has been the best defensive center of the last decade and he laughably struggles in those situations. Al Horford is a guy who has held up on switches, but man its not like Shaq is some outlier center that cant guard curry in isolation :lol

[eric365]

We don’t know how strong 25 years old wemby will be

Better question would be Jokic vs Shaq as we already know what prime Jokic is
And I think Jokic would be better

[spurraider21]

shaq is an oversensitive, insecure baby who hates hearing any other bigs get praise. but man people here are underestimating him like he isnt a top 10 player of all time, and is only as low as he is on that list because of his durability/longevity

[Bill_Brasky]

how many modern centers can defend curry or harden when switched onto them without getting blown by or giving up a step back 3? Gobert has been the best defensive center of the last decade and he laughably struggles in those situations. Al Horford is a guy who has held up on switches, but man its not like Shaq is some outlier center that cant guard curry in isolation :lol

That's kinda the point though. What players from his era were pulling him out of the paint and forcing him to guard on the perimeter?

[spurraider21]

That's kinda the point though. What players from his era were pulling him out of the paint and forcing him to guard on the perimeter?
yeah obviously shaq would struggle defending on the perimeter. so do most centers in today's game. zubac is having a good year by all accounts. shaq is him dialed up to a million

what if its one of those games where wemby is going 1-8 from 3. suddenly shaq's weakness isnt as big a deal and on the other end its not like shaq was prone to poor shooting games.

yes you could foul him, but do you really want wemby in foul trouble? if not wemby, who is going to be matched on shaq. sochan? harrison barnes? you're going to play bismack biyombo and charles bassey just to commit fouls to the detriment of your offensive production? having guys like that on the floor also mitigate shaq's defensive weakness

[couchman]

Wemby has struggled to slow down the physical bigs in the league today... so yeah. Shaq would have done whatever he wanted down low if defended by Wemby.
This is one of the reasons I want us to look into a physical defensive big, either in the draft of free agency.
Wemby is a defensive Center against most teams, but in certain matchups he should be a forward.

[Pauleta14]

I love Wemby but Shaq was 10x more bully than Sengun or Zubac. Come on guys.

Wemby would need to make his outside shots

When did Sengun or Zubac ever bullied Wemby?

Weird examples...

What happens when Shaq has to follow Vic on the perimeter?

[Pauleta14]

Wemby has struggled to slow down the physical bigs in the league today... so yeah. Shaq would have done whatever he wanted down low if defended by Wemby.
This is one of the reasons I want us to look into a physical defensive big, either in the draft of free agency.
Wemby is a defensive Center against most teams, but in certain matchups he should be a forward.

Wemby struggled only by being the only defensive presence in the team, especially when facing 2 Bigs

He also struggled due to insane energy expenditure that should never have been put on a 2nd year player

Embiid bullied him a bit during their 1st meeting and then he learned and adapted, provoking his ejection in their 2nd meeting.

The kid learns fast but needs some help

[itzsoweezee]

Some interesting stats from shaq’s prime playoff runs: https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=1291923

That’s a whole lot of post ups. Not sure if it’d be winning basketball these days

[spurraider21]

Some interesting stats from shaq’s prime playoff runs: https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=1291923

That’s a whole lot of post ups. Not sure if it’d be winning basketball these days
i imagine duncan's numbers in that same window of tiem would be very similar. spurs became more pick and roll heavy later on after parker emerged

[Arcadian]

I think they'd both take turns getting the best of each other, tbh. Shaq would definitely posterize Wemby, but Wemby would definitely block his dunk attempt a few times too.